


here comes the sun (and i say, it's alright)

by callumsmitchells



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: (hopefully this happens in the future), Fluff, Found Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25729732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callumsmitchells/pseuds/callumsmitchells
Summary: It's Ben and Callum week to look after Lexi, and they decide to go to the beach. Ben is overwhelmed by seeing his boyfriend and his daughter together. Callum is looking to their future, and prompts a conversation with Ben that could change everything.or, callum wants to have a baby.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 15
Kudos: 87





	here comes the sun (and i say, it's alright)

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea where this came from but it was initially supposed to be maybe 1000 words of callum talking about having a baby with ben - and then this happened. 
> 
> i hope you all enjoy it, and please feel free to leave comments/kudos - and maybe let me know if you'll be interested in me making this a series (and what you would like to see from a family series) x
> 
> tumblr: @callumsmitchells

It's their night to have Lexi. It's something that happens often during her school holidays. She doesn't really have a routine, as such, because both of her parents are so active in her life that she sees them both everyday, despite the fact that they've both moved on to new relationships. It works, and she's happy. Ben's been living at Callum's for a while now, officially, and even longer unofficially, and Lexi loves nothing more than joining them there, her own little room set up now they live alone. She's got her own cups and plates and a toy box that constantly seems to have more and more dressing up clothes in, on a weekly basis - though neither Ben nor Callum admit to spoiling her rotten. She's got her own space on the sofa, and Callum doesn't even complain when she sits there in the morning eating buttery toast watching the kids channel he never knew he had on his television before her. 

Lexi's sat there now, her legs swinging back and forth against the bottom of the sofa and she's cuddling into Ben's side, tiredness overtaking her though she's trying to fight it. The news theme tune chimes, and the only thing she cares about is how hot it's going to be tomorrow. Her day at the beach. Callum wraps his arm around Ben's shoulder, fingers lightly skimming past his hair, and Ben looks at Callum and smiles. He tilts his head towards Callum, who presses a kiss to his hair, and smiles back at Ben. The man on the news is talking about the local happenings, though it's nothing too exciting. Ben nearly falls asleep, and he knows Lexi is too, judging by the weight of her against his side. Then they go to the weather reporter, who is standing in front of a green screen of the map. Lexi doesn't understand it, not properly, but the adults do. Callum lets out a short huff before Ben even has time to process it all, his tired brain only working at a percentage of what it usually does.

_"And the weather along the coast tomorrow is set to be miserable, with drizzle and dark clouds all day long. The temperature is set to drop to the mid-teens, and not rise from that for the remainder of the week."_

"What does that mean?" Lexi inquires.

Ben curls her hair around his finger and then realises it. "It means we can't go to the beach tomorrow darling, I'm sorry." He says. 

"Why not?" She asks, and Ben's almost grateful that she's clearly tired, because she's not fighting it.

Callum speaks up, looking over Ben's body to watch her. "It'll be raining and cold. We can go another day though."

Lexi nods. "Before I go back to school?"

"Course, Princess." Ben smiles. "Anyway, it's past your bedtime now, so go and brush your teeth and I'll be in to check on you in five minutes."

She stands up, pyjamas far too big on her, though they are in her age category. "Can you read me a story?" She asks, rubbing her eyes with the bunched up sleeves of her shirt. 

"Only if you pick one out for me." Ben smiles, stretching his limbs out. He watches as Lexi runs to the bathroom, clearly excited about the idea of her Dad reading one of her books to her. 

It's barely past nine at night, the sky only just fading into a navy colour, the stars coming to life, but they're so tired. Callum falls into a cuddle, wrapping his arms around Ben's body as he stretches out. Ben laughs mid yawn, an ache in his chest as he does so, and his hand falls to the back of Callum's head, fingers threading through his short hair. He presses a soft kiss to Callum's head and whispers. "Get in bed, babe, I'll only be ten minutes." 

Callum looks up. "You sure?" 

Ben nods. "Yeah." He says. "She was falling asleep against me so she won't be awake much longer."

Callum hums against Ben's chest, feeling comfortable and at ease with Ben holding him. Like they were meant to be. Ben runs his fingers through Callum's hair, the television still playing news, now the national news, and it's relaxing. Callum can hear Ben's heartbeat, steading and thumping against his chest. Lexi walks out of the bathroom, and the sleeve on her right arm is dripping in water. Ben chuckles, and taps his fingers against Callum's head, silently telling him to get up. Callum complies, though it pains him when Ben stands up and walks away. 

"Say night to Callum and then go pick a book then darling." Ben says, his hands on Lexi's shoulders. 

She climbs over to Callum, and wraps her arms around his shoulders, her tiny body barely able to reach up that high, even though he's sitting down. He presses a swift peck to her head and hugs her back, telling her to have a nice sleep, and then she's soon walking towards her bedroom, ready to pick out a book for Ben to read to her. 

"Ten minutes." Ben says, stepping towards Callum and letting Callum drag him in by the waist. "I promise you." 

Callum nods, looking up at Ben with a smile on his face. "I'll get into bed then." He says, and puckers his lips. Ben bends down, holding Callum's face in his hands and presses his lips against Callum's, softly sighing into the embrace. Neither of them want to break apart, but Lexi shouts that she's picked a book from her room, and Ben knows he has to go. 

Callum follows him, quickly turning the television off and he throws the remote control down on the sofa, ready to be used in the morning. Ben walks into Lexi's room, and Callum walks into their room, though he can hear all the words that Ben's speaking as he reads the tale of fairies out loud. There's something so domestic about it, about going to bed early, bone tired, about hearing Ben read stories to his daughter, about being able to have his daughter stay the night in _their_ house together. Callum's flicking through his phone, the light from it and from the lamp illuminating the room, when Ben walks in moments later. He drops down into the bed, sinking into the mattress, and Callum hauls him into an embrace. Serenity is surrounding them, and Ben links his fingers with Callum's, their bodies pressing together. "She picked the longest book." Ben chuckles, bringing their joined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to Callum's skin. "And then fell asleep before I finished the first chapter."

"You'll just have to finish it tomorrow night." Callum laughs, nudging Ben's shirt with his nose, exposing the skin of his neck. 

Ben unlocks his hands with Callum's, and takes his shirt off, throwing it to the floor. He'll worry about that tomorrow. "You can do it tomorrow." Ben grins, pressing a kiss to Callum's neck. 

"Yeah?" He asks. 

"Yeah, course." Ben smiles. "You know she likes you, right?"

Callum hums, though neither of them are completely certain he understands. "She's proper been looking forward to going to the beach." He says, fingers catching Ben's hair, getting tangled in short knots. 

"We'll take her another day." Ben promises. "Maybe make a weekend holiday of it." 

* * *

Callum wakes up first, climbing out of bed. The cool air hits his body and he's grateful for it, the covers that were once over his body now way too hot for him. He leaves his boyfriend sleeping peacefully, though there's sweat visible on his forehead, and he walks into the kitchen. It's early, but it's clear to Callum that the weather presenter on the news the day before was wrong. It's hot, even at this early hour, the air muggy. Outside the sky cascades over the trees and houses a vibrant blue, with white and fluffy clouds sparsely littering the sky, breaking up the brightness of the blue. 

Looks like a day at the beach is on, after all. 

He flicks the television back into life, and there's a renovation show on. He takes no notice of it, just needing a bit of quiet noise playing in the background as he starts up his day. He's making himself a cup of coffee, when arms wrap around his waist, a head falling against his shoulder blades. 

"Didn't wake you up did I?" Callum asks, and his voice is croaky because he's not had a drink yet. 

There's a shake of Ben's head, and Callum can feel the movement against the expanse of his back. Callum turns, facing Ben now, and he wraps his arms around his boyfriend's body, just holding him there. Ben's head is against his chest, his glasses digging into Callum, pushing upwards off of Ben's eyes, making it difficult for him to see. The kettle grinds to halt, steam puffing out of its spout, and Ben groans as he pulls away from Callum. 

"Want a cuppa?" Callum asks, as he watches Ben sit down on the sofa, resting his legs up on the small coffee table that resides in front of it. 

Ben smiles over at Callum. "I don't deserve you." He says, and Callum knows that's Ben's way of saying _yes._

Callum grins, and his heart flutters, all happiness and light. "I reckon we could go to the beach today." Callum admits, passing Ben the cup of tea.

"You think so?" Ben asks, raising an eyebrow in Callum's direction. 

"It looks beautiful outside, and it's hot." Callum says. "We could go this morning, and then even if it starts chucking down in the afternoon we could just run back to the car and come home."

Ben hums, looking outside and watching as the clouds stagnate in the sky, the sun rising above the houses opposite. He knows Callum's right. "Alright then. Yeah, let's go." 

So they do. Just over an hour later, and breakfast long since eaten, Lexi's standing at the door dressed in shorts with pom poms on, a bright pink shirt, and a hat, sunglasses in hand. Callum throws Ben's car keys at him, deciding to take his car just because Lexi's booster seat is already in there, plus it's bigger. Ben swings his keys around his fingers, and pats his shorts, checking that his phone's already hidden away in there. Callum picks up the bucket and spade, handing the latter over to Lexi, who takes it gratefully, and then he grabs a bag with a change of clothes, blanket and food and water. If nothing comes from this, at least he's prepared for all eventualities. 

When they get to the beach, it looks like everyone’s had the same idea. It’s busy, and it takes Ben at least ten minutes before he’s able to find a place to park the car without paying extortionate prices to do so. Lexi's able to just look over the brick wall leading down to the beach - if she stands on the tips of her toes and cranes her neck. 

"Daddy!" she shouts, though Ben is holding onto her hand and would be able to hear her if she just speaks. "There's a bouncy slide on the sand!" 

Ben and Callum look at each other, fear in their eyes. It'll end in tears. Whether it'll be theirs because of the price, or Lexi's after she hurts herself, who knows? There's squeals of children all around, an inflatable obstacle course paving the way down to the beach. There's men playing football across the sand, sunbathers relaxing, children playing with buckets and spades. The second that Lexi steps foot onto the sand, the grains flicking into her tiny sandals, she sets off running, Ben and Callum quickly following her in the hope that she doesn't just go missing. 

By lunch, it's hot. The sun is right there in the centre of the sky, at its peak. Ben's laying on the sand, tan grains sticking to him where he's sweating, or sticky with sun cream. Callum's sitting upright, helping Lexi tap down the sand in her bucket so that it doesn't all crumble when she tips it back around, building a castle. It's highly elaborate, with a moat, and sticks acting as a drawbridge. Ben grins, watching them play together. Lexi looks up at Callum with a bright grin, and he knows that means she's ready to flip it over, but needs help. Compacted sand is heavy on her little arms, especially in this heat. Ben takes his phone out of his pocket, and notices that it's hot to touch, but quickly snaps a photo of the two of them together. His two favourite people. 

"It's lunch." Ben points out, looking at the time on his phone. He sits up. "Do you want to go and get something to eat, get out of the sun for a bit?" 

"Can we come back here after?" Lexi asks, looking up at her dad, her hat just that little bit too big and falling off of her head. He fixes its position on top of her head and smiles. "I want to go in the water." 

Ben chuckles. "If it's not raining by the time we come back then yeah." He says, shoving their things into their bag. "But I'm not going in the water. There's sharks in there."

"Ben!" Callum scalds, punching Ben's arm lightly. "I'll take you paddling after Lex, but we can't go in properly." 

She accepts that, and carries her bucket away with her, holding onto Ben's hand as the three of them walk off the beach. 

It's not long before they find a cafe, hidden away in the corner of a street. It's got an outside sitting area with only a few people there, covered by large parasols. Lexi sits down on a chair, and Callum follows, Ben drops the bag on the floor, underneath the table and stands towering over them. He takes his wallet out, reading to go and order some food. 

"Do you need help?" Callum asks.

Ben shakes his head. "Just watch her, make sure she doesn't go running off." He leans down and rests his forearm across the back of Callum's neck, and hooks him in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. There's no need for it, it's just nice, and it sends shivers down Callum's spine. "What do you fancy?" He asks, voice low.

Callum grins, and he can't resist. Ben's stumbled right into a trap. "You." He says, lightness in his voice, and a laugh escapes him. "Just get me chips or something."

Ben pulls away, cheeks now a shade of pink. "Chips, and Lexi? Strawberry milkshake if they have any?" 

Lexi looks up at her dad and grins, nodding her head. Callum leans over and takes her sunglasses off her eyes. She doesn't need them right now, underneath the parasol. Ben chuckles softly, shaking his head in disbelief at how lucky he is to have this life. He walks into the cafe, and is instantly grateful that there's cold air blowing out from above him. It's quaint, reminiscent of the photos he's seen of his own Mum's cafe in the past. Something within him clicks, and he feels at home straight away, though he knows he's never been here before. There's newspaper clippings on the way, the paper decaying into a soft yellow, the glass of a frame protecting it from any harm. The headline reads something about a grand re-opening, though he doesn't take much notice of it as he's busy trying to find a menu somewhere. 

When he walks back out, moments later, with a strawberry milkshake in hand for Lexi, with a cardboard lunch box with zebras and giraffes printed on it, the heat hits him again, even more so now. He sits back down with his family, and explains that they'll bring his and Callum's order out when it's ready. "Only three pound for Lexi's stuff." Ben says, looking at the receipt in his hands. "And there's quite a lot in it."

"Not bad." Callum admires. "We'll have to come again." 

* * *

It's even hotter when they finish their lunch, the air muggy with no breeze. They're back on the beach, and it's even busier than earlier on in the day, if that was at all possible. "We can't stay here for long, it's rammed." Callum says. 

Lexi doesn't hear him, thank God, too distracted by the waves rolling in slowly and crashing at her feet. 

Ben nods. "Just let her paddle for a bit, and then we can try and find some ice cream." He says, fingers linking with Callum's loosely. "She's tired." 

They watch her as she walks next to them, kicking her legs out at the water, the foam from the sea lapping up just next to them. It's nice. Sea water splashes at their legs, and it doesn't do much to cool them down, but there's something so relaxing about it. They're barely able to hear the ocean, the beach too busy with families enjoying the sunshine, but they only care about their own little family. Lexi crouches down, only a few steps in front of them, and she picks something up. 

"Look at this!" She squeals, turning to face them with her arm extended outwards. It's a little shell, pearly white and curling over, with brown and purple littering the edges of it. It's tiny, but looks massive in her hands, and she just looks so pleased with her find it's adorable. From then on, they walk along the shoreline with Lexi stopping every few moments as she picks at a pebble or a shell. 

"Lex we can't take all of these home with us." Ben says before long, his daughters bucket now filling up nicely with 'treasures'. 

She turns, looking up at her Dad, puppy dog eyes already in full swing. "Why not?"

"Because it's illegal." Ben says, and Callum erupts into laughter at the side of him. 

"As if that's ever stopped you." Callum responds, brightness in his eyes, infectious laugh bubbling from his lips. 

Ben gasps audibly, and flicks his hand out to hit against Callum's chest - though, that is definitely a fair comment. "You can take two." Ben says, negotiating with his daughter. "And then we'll go and find you an ice cream." 

Lexi agrees to that, and picks the first shell she found, alongside a smooth pebble with flecks of glitter glistening in the sun. The rest of the shells and rocks go back along the shoreline, and Callum sees a little hut along the promenade with what looks like a model ice cream cone hanging out of the side of the building. It's even further away from where Ben's sure he eventually parked the car, but they thankfully don't have a timer on where they parked. 

Eventually they get there, with Callum having to pick Lexi up halfway, complaining that her legs were aching. Her arms are enveloping Callum's shoulders, and ice cream definitely drips down onto his shirt as they start the walk back to Ben's car, the hot sun beating down on them. Ben's left carrying the bags, but he couldn't care less, because the picture in front of him was all he needed to see. Callum walking ahead of him, Lexi in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as she finishes off her ice cream. He fumbles to get his phone out of his pocket, and he snaps a photo of them, and he knows for a fact it'll be one that eventually gets printed off and placed into a photo frame or a photo album. Callum turns back to Ben, and nods to the girl in his arms. She's fallen asleep. Ben smiles softly, and catches up with them, walking in time with Callum's steps now. 

"How far away is the car?" Callum asks.

"Just down this road, I think." Ben responds. "Do you need to swap?"

Callum shakes his head. "No, she's fine. Don't want to wake her up." 

It knocks Ben for six. He's seen it before now, in everything Callum does for Lexi, but he's so overwhelmed seeing how much Callum is in his element. It just looks so natural, he makes it look so easy. Ben's grateful though, that he gets to be in a loving relationship, and have his daughter involved in that too, like a proper family, albeit a little bit unconventional - but that just makes it better.

Ben spots the car out of the corner of his eyes, and unlocks it from a short distance. He opens the windows instantly, trying to get some fresh air into the car, the inside of it overheating. He puts everything in the boot of the car, and then opens the door, letting Callum climb halfway into the back to put Lexi into her seat. The engine starts to run when Callum climbs into the passenger seat as he wraps the seatbelt over his chest. A hand rests against his thigh, and Callum looks down at it, and places his hand down on Ben's, locking his fingers in the gaps. They smile at each other, tired eyes looking at tired eyes, and Ben leans in, pressing his lips to Callum's, taking the moment in. Callum's free hand threads through Ben's hair, and it remains there when they pull apart. "I love you." Ben whispers, the words just needing to be said to Callum, for his ears only. 

"I love you too." Callum replies, and it makes Ben's heart flip, probably falling more and more in love with his boyfriend than he thought tangible. 

* * *

It's later at night now, the sun fading away to nothing, hidden behind clouds and then replaced by the moon. They've all eaten, although Lexi was somehow still tired, despite sleeping all the way home, and almost fell asleep at the table. Ben's sat on the sofa, spread out with two bottles of beer sitting waiting on the coffee table. There's a film on the television, and he doesn't really care about it, much more focused on the soft voices that are coming from Lexi's bedroom. It's Callum's day to read to her, as nominated the day before. He can hear as Callum softly does the voices, and Lexi giggles in response. It eventually goes quiet, and only a few moments later Callum's creeping out of her bedroom, shutting the door gently behind him. He sits down next to Ben, and grabs a hold of his beer bottle, spreading one arm across the back of the sofa. Ben moves, not speaking just yet, taking the moment in. He rests his head against Callum's chest, and his breathing pattern starts to connect with Callum's, their chests rising and falling in time with one another. Callum rests his hand on Ben's head, threading his fingers through his hair, brushing it out of the way of his eyes. 

"How is she?" Ben asks, twisting his head to look at Callum.

"Fine." Callum says. "I just about finished the next chapter and she was out like a light. Your day to read tomorrow then." 

Ben chuckles, and agrees. He's always loved reading stories to her, ever since they came back into each other's lives. It's something he was reluctant to share with Callum at first, just wanting that part just to himself. But he loves it even more now, sharing the duties with his boyfriend, knowing that she loves having two people telling her stories. He knows it'll change as she grows up, and gets more independent, but it's something he wants to keep holding on to for as long as possible. She's still his little princess.

It's quiet for a while after that, Ben cuddling into Callum's chest; Callum playing with Ben's hair. The film reaches its climax, and both of them are certain that they've seen it before, some vague memory of the actors' faces and the plot. The titles start to roll, and there's a song playing in the background, something recognisable from the radio only a few years back. Callum doesn't even realise what he's saying, before he speaks, his heart beating a million miles an hour. "You know, before me and you got together?" He asks, and waits only a few short moments as Ben turns to face Callum. He doesn't respond, so Callum continues. "Me and Whit, we were talking about having a baby." 

Ben furrows his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes to Callum. "I'd hate to break it to you babe, but you didn't like having sex with her, and that's a pretty important part of it." He says, though the irony is strong, considering how Lexi was conceived. 

Callum shakes his head, and rolls his eyes, and he can't help but playfully slap Ben's chest. Ben laughs, a proper chuckle, and it's infectious and the whole situation is just utterly ridiculous. He eventually calms down, and takes Callum's hand in his own and lifts them to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his skin, and Ben's heart is pounding so much in his chest that he's almost frightened that Callum can hear it. He's nervous, and he doesn't even know why, but there's something in him telling him that he should be. 

"I'm the happiest I've ever been, Ben." Callum explains, and there's a crack in his voice as though he's ready to break into tears at any given point. "You've given me a family, and I've never had one of those, not really. Not how it's meant to be. And I love spending time with Lexi, having days like today. I never got to have those as a kid, so I know that she's going to look back on that when she's all grown up and have happy memories." He runs his thumb over the perimeter of Ben's face, taking him in. "I never thought I would be able to love someone like I love you."

Ben interrupts, tears welling up in his eyes. "Yeah, and I love you too." He says, like his life depends on it. It's the same for Ben, and Callum knows it. He knows that Ben struggles with those three little words even now. 

"I know." Callum nods. "I know and I never thought that anyone would ever love me like you do. Because you make me feel so loved, Ben, in everything you do." 

Ben pushes up, seeing tears in Callum's eyes threatening to tumble out and escape. He takes Callum's lips in his own, and it's a mess of emotions and yet it's perfect at the same time. Callum presses down, kissing back just as ferociously. It takes a moment, but he eventually pulls back and just looks at Ben's face, taking him in. He watches him sleeping, sometimes, and attempts to count the freckles that litter his cheeks but _this_ , this is something different. 

"I want to be a dad." He eventually voices, and he can feel as the blood instantly rushes to his head the second he says it, nerves overriding his body. "I want us to have a baby together. If that's something you want too?"

It's silent, for a moment, as Ben takes the words in, letting them absorb. _Did he really just say that?_ He's shocked, but it's as if two worlds have collided and it all just makes perfect sense. He has all the attributes of an amazing dad already. Lexi loves spending time with him, and he loves that too. He'll drop anything, if that little girl needs him. Suddenly, Ben can see the future, and for the first time in his life, it looks perfect. And yeah, that sways his mind. "If I want that too?" Ben asks, and he puts his hand on the sofa as he pushes himself up so that he's sitting upright now. "If I want that too?" He repeats, and Callum is following his eyes wherever they go. "Babe I'd love nothing more than to have a little Callum running about the place; seeing Lexi being a big sister to a little brother or a little sister; seeing _you_ with a baby. I'd get to experience all the things I missed out on with Lexi. First feed, first change, first step, first word. And best of all? I'd get to experience all that with you."

Ben wraps his arms around Callum's shoulders, and half swings his body around so that his knees are pressing down at either side of Callum's hips and he just rests there like he was born to be in that position. His lips are against Callum's neck, a wide grin on his face and Callum needs to speak again, before he's too far gone to make sense. He presses his hands to Ben's face, and pulls him away from his neck so that they're face to face and Callum swears he couldn't be more in love than he is right now. "Is that it then?" Callum asks, a bright smile on his face, cheeks stained pink and eyes blue from the tears in them. "We're really doing this."

Ben mirrors his image, and cradles Callum's head in his hand, thumbs stroking his cheeks and he can feel the heat exuding from his skin. "Yeah." He says, a smile spreading across his face at the words, as though it's only just hit him, right at this very moment. "Yeah. Let's do it. Let's look into having a baby together."


End file.
